I was just wondering if anyone has tried the new blades from Harry's with the trimmer and new hinging system? If you have what your thoughts are on it?
New Harry's blades
- Thread starter Ericaw
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Yes, they were just released this week. Notable improvements are mainly the hinge, which tended to break, and increased spacing between the blades. Whether this will translate into better performance is to be determined. I did not care for the original blades simply because they did not cut nearly as well as many other competitors. I also found that the shave quality quickly degraded. After only about 3-4 shaves, I found the blades very dull. I don't think they changed the blade materials, and am skeptical that just the hinge structure and blade spacing would prolong the life of the blades. I would like to try them again, but am reticent until I can read at least a few positive reviews that the changes are substantive. Hopefully in the next week or two, there will be some reviews across the internet to help determine if this is worth another shot. I find that for this approximate price point, the Dorco cartridges are far superior. However, I am always in search of something that improves my shave experience, even if just slightly.
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I decided to give them a try on the free trial offer I'll post back what I think when I get them.
Kudos to Harrys! I really like a trimmer blade, and more flex in the hinge was definitely needed. These folks seem to be alert to customer needs.
Ron I
Ron I
Certainly overdue. I checked my original order, and it was from April 2013. Even back then, their Facebook account had people often requesting the trimmer blade. Only took them 3 years to make it happen. I was thinking they were only interested in selling people more colored handles.
So while the blades have seen an improvement, their "premium" handle, the Winston, seems to have suffered. The original that I have was all aluminum. The new one, with the rubber grip added, is now "...a new ergonomic body made of die-cast zinc and polished chrome..."
So while the blades have seen an improvement, their "premium" handle, the Winston, seems to have suffered. The original that I have was all aluminum. The new one, with the rubber grip added, is now "...a new ergonomic body made of die-cast zinc and polished chrome..."
Just ordered some today. I'll let you know how they go when I get them. I've had great success with their previous blade and have about 6 more to go through before I'm ready to get down on the new ones.
I received my trial blade, and used it for the first time. The new design is similar, although the blades are spread a little further apart. The bigger difference is that the new hinge is much more flexible. I'm not sure if that is a plus or not. As the blade becomes less sharp, I'm wondering if there will be more skipping because of too much hinge flexing. If anything, I would have made the hinge a bit more firm, because it will continue to become softer with use as the rubber loses elasticity.
The first shave with a Harry's blade is always pretty good. This was still the case with my first shave using the new blade. I might suggest that the new design feels more aggressive on the skin, but nothing significant that would cause concern. It also takes a period of time for your skin to adjust to any new shaving apparatus. The real test is durability. I never could get more than a few decent shaves out of Harry's, so I will have to see how this works during the week. I expect to get at least 6 good shaves from any cartridge. Harry's historical average for me was about 3, then the blades were too dull. This made these blades among the most expensive option for me when considering the useful life of a blade. I can get about 10-12 shaves from a Gillette, and about 6 from Dorco. Far and away I find the Dorco blades the least expensive, followed by the Gillette, when considering how long they last. As far as shave quality, most would agree that Gillette is the standard by which all other blades are measured. If the Gillette blades were 3 bucks, this conversation would be moot. Most of us are searching for the great shave of Gillette for a much lower cost. We could be searching for a unicorn. I would say that if the shave quality and durability of the Gillette is a 10, I would give the Dorco a 8-9. The old Harry's I would give a 5-6. The new Harry's? It all depends now on how many shaves, and if the hinge doesn't break or degrade.
All in all, I don't think the new Harry's is much of a game changer for most. If you liked the old, you will probably like the new. They did not change the blade except for the spacing. I don't know if that affects blade life; probably not, but I'm willing to try. If I could match the blade life of Dorco, I would likely continue a longer term experiment. If after 3-4 shaves I feel that familiar dullness, I'm back to Dorco.
I will post again in a few days with another update.
The first shave with a Harry's blade is always pretty good. This was still the case with my first shave using the new blade. I might suggest that the new design feels more aggressive on the skin, but nothing significant that would cause concern. It also takes a period of time for your skin to adjust to any new shaving apparatus. The real test is durability. I never could get more than a few decent shaves out of Harry's, so I will have to see how this works during the week. I expect to get at least 6 good shaves from any cartridge. Harry's historical average for me was about 3, then the blades were too dull. This made these blades among the most expensive option for me when considering the useful life of a blade. I can get about 10-12 shaves from a Gillette, and about 6 from Dorco. Far and away I find the Dorco blades the least expensive, followed by the Gillette, when considering how long they last. As far as shave quality, most would agree that Gillette is the standard by which all other blades are measured. If the Gillette blades were 3 bucks, this conversation would be moot. Most of us are searching for the great shave of Gillette for a much lower cost. We could be searching for a unicorn. I would say that if the shave quality and durability of the Gillette is a 10, I would give the Dorco a 8-9. The old Harry's I would give a 5-6. The new Harry's? It all depends now on how many shaves, and if the hinge doesn't break or degrade.
All in all, I don't think the new Harry's is much of a game changer for most. If you liked the old, you will probably like the new. They did not change the blade except for the spacing. I don't know if that affects blade life; probably not, but I'm willing to try. If I could match the blade life of Dorco, I would likely continue a longer term experiment. If after 3-4 shaves I feel that familiar dullness, I'm back to Dorco.
I will post again in a few days with another update.
How're the shaves going?
I am markedly disappointed by the new Harry's blade. While they attempted to address the hinge durability issue, they made the hinge far too flexible. The result for me was a very mediocre shave, with lots of skipping. I found it nearly impossible to get a good shave after the first use. The hinge needs some flex, but not to the point where it is so flexible that the blades fail to stay on top of the skin. If you have a very light beard, you might get away with this, but medium or heavy beards will not benefit from this new design.
I think they need to ditch either the overall design, or vastly improve the materials that house the steel blades. While they tout they own the factory that makes the blades, the overall design of the cartridge is not good, with the hinge likely the biggest detractor. I don't care about an improved handle if the tool can't accomplish the intended purpose; to shave well.
They would be better served ditching this new design, and go back to the drawing board. Gillette, Schick, Dorco are far better performers, and once you consider the useful life of the cartridge, are far less expensive options.
Sorry for the disappointing review. I really wanted this to be a good product, and something that would offer a better shaving experience. Perhaps some will like it, but for me, I would not even give Harry's a second thought.
I think they need to ditch either the overall design, or vastly improve the materials that house the steel blades. While they tout they own the factory that makes the blades, the overall design of the cartridge is not good, with the hinge likely the biggest detractor. I don't care about an improved handle if the tool can't accomplish the intended purpose; to shave well.
They would be better served ditching this new design, and go back to the drawing board. Gillette, Schick, Dorco are far better performers, and once you consider the useful life of the cartridge, are far less expensive options.
Sorry for the disappointing review. I really wanted this to be a good product, and something that would offer a better shaving experience. Perhaps some will like it, but for me, I would not even give Harry's a second thought.
We had different experiences. My experience with Harry's razor was actually really great. The blades felt sharp and smooth. I didn't notice any problem with the hinges. The handle felt nice. The blades are close but don't clog up, as some might think. Granted, I only had about a day and a half growth, but my hair is very thick. We'll see how the razor performs later this week. Thanks for your review!
I have been using Harry's blades for about eight month and have been getting a very smooth shave with no irritation. I was getting a better shave than my comparably priced Mach 3. I just received my latest shipment of sixteen blades (most economical). When I tried the new blade, I immediately noticed that I was not getting as close a shave and the blades were not gliding over my skin nearly as smoothly as the original blades. The new blades irritated my skin and I was not able to get as close a shave. Very disappointed.
I contacted Harry's about getting their original blades but they said they were no longer available. I changed out the blade the next day and tried again with the same result. I contacted Harry's again and they issued a full refund on my order (very good customer service).
I went back to my old Mach 3 and did not have any irritation issues, but do not get as close a shave (I typically do three passes). So now I am in search of a new shaving system............
I contacted Harry's about getting their original blades but they said they were no longer available. I changed out the blade the next day and tried again with the same result. I contacted Harry's again and they issued a full refund on my order (very good customer service).
I went back to my old Mach 3 and did not have any irritation issues, but do not get as close a shave (I typically do three passes). So now I am in search of a new shaving system............
You could check out Dollar Shave Club. I was gonna suggestion a Fusion but $4.00 for a cartridge is ridiculous. If all else fails you can just get a safety razor.
Well, my son encouraged me to try the $4 Fushion this morning, so I did. It yielded a a shave that was not at all irritating, but really no closer than my Mach 3 blades that are half the price, and still not as good as the original Harry's blades.
Not sure about Dollar Shave Club. I may try the Schick Hydro 5 next.
Not sure about Dollar Shave Club. I may try the Schick Hydro 5 next.
My dad uses Fusion, but is pretty fed up with the prices. I think he's gonna try Harry's.
Different strokes for different folks! Interesting the range of opinions; typical for all shaving products. I would concur that the new Harry's is not as good as the old. It's a design issue,not a "blade quality" issue. Bottom line is the new Harry's for me is about on par with a cheap disposable razor. Neither close, comfortable, or economical.
Someone mentioned Dollar Shave Club. These are Dorco products, and are my go to razors. I use the 6 or 7 blade, and find it's almost as good a shave as gillette (say 90% as good), but the blades don't last quite as long. If you buy them from the Dorcousa website, the prices are very good. I buy them direct in bulk, and am a continuing customer.
If you examine the hinge system and cartridge housing of every brand, there are differences. That is where the engineering comes into play. It is not just the blades, but how the play with the hinge, housing, and angles. It's pretty complicated. That's why Gillette can charge what they do; they put a 100s of millions into their research. Few would say the quality of Gillette is a problem. It's the price we object to. If Gillette cartridges would cost let's say 2 bucks each, all of these conversations would evaporate. But we continue to search for that balance of quality shave and cost. Somewhat elusive, but my experience is that at any price, the new Harry's is a bust.
Someone mentioned Dollar Shave Club. These are Dorco products, and are my go to razors. I use the 6 or 7 blade, and find it's almost as good a shave as gillette (say 90% as good), but the blades don't last quite as long. If you buy them from the Dorcousa website, the prices are very good. I buy them direct in bulk, and am a continuing customer.
If you examine the hinge system and cartridge housing of every brand, there are differences. That is where the engineering comes into play. It is not just the blades, but how the play with the hinge, housing, and angles. It's pretty complicated. That's why Gillette can charge what they do; they put a 100s of millions into their research. Few would say the quality of Gillette is a problem. It's the price we object to. If Gillette cartridges would cost let's say 2 bucks each, all of these conversations would evaporate. But we continue to search for that balance of quality shave and cost. Somewhat elusive, but my experience is that at any price, the new Harry's is a bust.
Major problems with Harry’s new blades.
1. The new blades were redesigned and they don’t fit the handle properly. They either jiggle up and down along the handle axis, or they pop out unexpectedly. Harry’s replaced two orange handles for me for free but that didn’t solve the problem.
2. The redesign of the blade cartridge to accommodate the trimmer blade has resulted in a change in the spacing and angle of the blades on the skin. This results in a much rougher shave than I got with the older, non-trimmer blades. It’s just not a smooth shave anymore. Very disappointed. I’m nearing the end of my supply and I’m not sure I’ll be sticking with Harry’s. I loved their blades at first, but am totally turned off with these newer ones.
1. The new blades were redesigned and they don’t fit the handle properly. They either jiggle up and down along the handle axis, or they pop out unexpectedly. Harry’s replaced two orange handles for me for free but that didn’t solve the problem.
2. The redesign of the blade cartridge to accommodate the trimmer blade has resulted in a change in the spacing and angle of the blades on the skin. This results in a much rougher shave than I got with the older, non-trimmer blades. It’s just not a smooth shave anymore. Very disappointed. I’m nearing the end of my supply and I’m not sure I’ll be sticking with Harry’s. I loved their blades at first, but am totally turned off with these newer ones.
